10 Essential Home Maintenance Tasks for Fox River Valley Homeowners this Fall

Living in the Fox River Valley offers beauty and comfort, but it also requires consistent upkeep to ensure your home stays in top shape. I have recommendations for each item on my ten key maintenance tasks to consider for both the interior and exterior of your home:

1. Roof Inspection: Regularly inspect your roof for missing shingles, leaks, or signs of wear. Northern Illinois’ varying weather can be tough on roofs.
   Apex Exterior
   Responsive Roofing
   Pro-Resto

2. Gutter Cleaning: Clear your gutters of debris to prevent water damage, especially before the rainy spring season.
   Oleksy Services

3. Window Sealing: Check windows and doors for air leaks. Proper sealing will lower energy bills and improve indoor comfort year-round.
   Repairs & New Windows: Apex WindowWerks
   Light Maintenance: Helping Hands Handyman

4. HVAC System Maintenance: Clean or replace filters and schedule a yearly inspection to keep your heating and cooling systems running efficiently. The drastic seasonal changes demand it.
   McNally’s Heating & Cooling
   Elgin Sheet Metal
   State Automatic
   Philips Heating & Cooling

5. Water Heater Check: Flushing the tank yearly can extend your water heater’s life and ensure it works efficiently during cold winters.
   Wade Performance Plumbing
   Aqua Knight Plumbing

6. Chimney Cleaning: If your home has a fireplace, regular chimney inspections and cleaning are vital for safety and to prevent fires.
   Majestic Distributing / House of Fireplaces

7. Lawn Care: Keeping your yard well-maintained not only adds curb appeal but prevents pests from entering your home. Trim bushes and trees away from the house. Absolute Landscape Management

8. Deck or Patio Upkeep: Regularly clean, seal, or stain your deck to protect it from weather damage, especially before winter snow.
   Olesky Services

9. Exterior Painting: Inspect your home’s exterior for chipping or peeling paint. A fresh coat adds protection and boosts your home’s appearance.
   Always Perfect Painters

10. Sump Pump Check: Flooding can be an issue in parts of the Fox River Valley, so ensure your sump pump is working correctly, especially before heavy rains.
    Aqua Knight Plumbing
    Wade Performance Plumbing

Bonus:

1. Request a garage door check up from AAADoorteks. Dennis is an all-around great guy and you will receive personal attention.

2. We need our blinds cleaned, repaired or replaced. Reach out to the blind guys at Hang & Shine.

3. Be ready for the holidays with pick-up and delivery cleaning of heavy bedding, draperies and upholstery with Everything Clean luxury laundry service.

By staying proactive with these tasks, you'll protect your investment and enjoy a safer, more efficient home in the Fox River Valley.